ROCKLAND HIGH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Progress Reports

Term 3 progress reports were posted on Wednesday. Please log into Aspen and locate the published report on the main page.

Grossman Awards

Congratulations to seniors Kiley Murdock and Anderson Dore, who were recognized this week at the Grossman Luncheon, held at The Woodward School in Quincy with students representing 17 South Shore high schools.

The Grossman family, of Quincy, built their legacy through Grossman’s Lumber and Building Supply, a long-standing regional business serving contractors and homeowners across New England. Since 1956, the family has honored two outstanding students from area schools each year in recognition of their academic excellence and extracurricular achievements. In addition to hosting a luncheon celebrating all recipients, the family also provides each student with a scholarship.

We are proud of Kiley and Anderson for earning this prestigious recognition!

DECA Conference

On Thursday, senior Aaron Ramponi set off to the Seaport to represent Rockland at the three-day DECA State Career Development Conference. We wish Aaron and DECA advisor Ms. Donovan the best of luck!

MIAA Leadership Conference

On Friday, ten student-athletes from across all grades represented their teams and the Rockland High School community at the MIAA offices in Franklin for a Student Leadership Conference. The event provided students with the opportunity to build leadership skills, collaborate with peers from other schools, and learn strategies they can bring back to strengthen their teams and our school community.

Seal of Biliteracy - next Tuesday

Next week, 30 Rockland High School juniors and seniors will participate in the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy assessment on Tuesday, March 17 at 8:15 AM. Students who are scheduled to test will be called to the lecture hall during Monday morning’s announcements (9:10 AM) for a brief meeting to ensure they can successfully log into the testing platform and access the speaking, typing, and listening features in advance.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a rigorous assessment that recognizes students who have achieved a high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional language. Earning the Seal is an outstanding accomplishment that highlights students’ multilingual skills and prepares them for future academic and career opportunities.

We wish all participating students the very best of luck and thank our staff for their flexibility in supporting this important opportunity for our students.

Safety Training

On Friday, March 20, Rockland High School will partner with the Rockland Police Department to conduct our final safety training of the school year. Earlier this year, we completed an evacuation drill in early October and an ALICE protocol safety drill in November. Additional communication will be shared next week with further details about this training.

Lost and Found

Please see the attached photos of our growing Lost and Found collection. Students, come get your stuff!

MCAS testing is coming soon! All grade 10 students will take English Language Arts in March and Math in May. Grade 9 students will take Science at the beginning of June. See the dates below:

• March 24 and 25 - Grade 10 ELA
• May 19 and 20 - Grade 10 Math
• June 2 and 3 - Grade 9 Science

Testing will take place during the school day. Students NOT taking the MCAS on these days will be expected to report school later than usual (although students taking the bus may come in at normal time and work on schoolwork in the cafeteria). The schedule for ELA on 3/24 and 3/25 is attached.

Rockland's Junior-Senior Prom will be held on Friday, May 22nd at Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston. Coach buses will transport students to and from prom (departing from the high school), and all students are required to take the bus. Tickets will be sold from March 9th-March 16th. Read the following information in order to purchase a ticket!

• Prom tickets cost $100. Pay in cash or check made out to “Town of Rockland.”

• All students must fill out this Prom Contract Google Form prior to purchasing their ticket from Mrs. Delaney or Ms. Leighton in room 231. The contract form is your ticket once you’ve paid.

• Prom tickets will be sold from March 9th-March 16th after school (or during L block, if a senior has senior privilege) from Mrs. Delaney Or Ms. Leightron in room 231. 231 is Ms. Leighton’s classroom..

• If you are bringing a date that does not attend Rockland High School, you must fill out the Guest Request form (attached to this email) and have it signed by either Ms. Paulding, Mr. Damon, or Mrs. Schipper by April 8th in order to secure a ticket for them.

• If you do not submit the Guest Request form to Mrs. Delaney by April 8th, you will not be allowed to bring an outside guest.

• If you are bringing an underclassman from Rockland High School as your date, they must also fill out the Prom Contract google form (we will send it to them when they come with you to purchase a ticket).

• If you are bringing a date from Rockland High School that is a Junior or Senior, and you are each paying separately, you do not need to come together to purchase your tickets.

• If you pay for another person’s ticket, that ticket belongs to them, even if you decide not to go together later on.

• When a ticket is being purchased for someone else, they must also be present when payment is given to Mrs.Delaney/Ms. Leighton (unless they do not attend Rockland High School).

• No reimbursements after April 8th if you decide to no longer attend prom.

• If you have any questions or financial concerns, please see Mrs. Delaney or Ms. Leighton (junior class advisor) in person prior to March 16th.

MARCH

March 17 - Senate Leadership Council meeting, 7:30 AM

March 17 - Seal of Biliteracy Exam, 8:15 AM

March 18 - South Shore League Scholar-Athlete Banquet, 6:30 PM, Souther’s Marsh, Plymouth

March 19 - Early Release PD Day, 11:25 AM dismissal

March 20 - Safety Training

March 24 - ELA MCAS Test for Grade 10

March 24 - School-Day SAT Test for Grade 11

March 25 - ELA MCAS Test for Grade 10

March 25 - Harlem Wizards, 6:30 PM

March 26 - 28 - RHS Spring Musical, Guys and Dolls, 7:00 PM

March 31 - Site Council Meeting, 2:45 PM

APRIL

April 3 - No School, Good Friday

April 6 -Department Head meeting, 2:50 PM

April 8 - Crisis Team Meeting, 9:20 AM

April 8 - Financial Aid Night, 6:00 PM

April 9 - Early Release PD Day, 11:25 AM dismissal

April 13 - Term 3 closes (change)

April 13 - Massasoit On-the-Spot Admissions

April 14 - Senate Leadership Council Meeting, 7:30 AM

April 14 - Pathways Career Fair, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

April 16 - Dog Block, 10:42 - 11:28 AM

April 17 - Autism Awareness Day

April 17 -Term 3 Grades posted (change)

April 17 - Spring Recess begins

April 20 - 24 - Spring Recess

The annual RHS musical, Guys and Dolls is coming up fast! Performances will take place on March 26-28. Get your tickets early, as the show is sure to sell! Here are the links:

https://www.freshtix.com/events/guys-and-dolls-32626

https://www.freshtix.com/events/guys-and-dolls-32726

https://www.freshtix.com/events/guys-and-dolls-32826

Thank you for supporting our students in their performance!

Images is accepting submissions for the spring issue. Please see the attached notification.

Please see the attached information about a post-secondary career fair sponsored by the Landmark School.

Counselors worked with freshmen in history classes this week, on the following:

1. Starting their four year planner - students can easily keep track of the courses they have taken and the credits they have earned. The planner is in their Guidance Google classroom.

2. Elective course selection for the 2026-2027 school year: students chose their electives for next year. They entered them into Aspen and filled out and submitted their course selection sheet. They will review their choices and their academic recommendations with their counselor (meetings will begin on March 19th).

3. We introduced Freshmen to SCOIR - an online platform that provides students with college and career planning tools to use throughout their time at Rockland High School. Students were invited to join SCOIR through their school email. If a student was absent from class, they can access SCOIR via the email that was sent on 3/10.

Students began creating their high school résumé - which will include their post-high school

objective, extra-curricular activities (sports, clubs, etc…), community service, and leadership

positions. The résumé can be used for job applications, college applications, and letters of

recommendation. Students can add to their résumé at any point and will update it

throughout high school. Resources about the SCOIR résumé are in the Guidance Google

classroom.

If students were absent, all information is in the Guidance Google classroom, including the course selection sheet, which should be turned in no later than 3/17.

Please see the attached information about a exciting opportunity for a hands-on learning opportunity during April vacation.

Interested in Medical or Dental Assisting or another great career that doesn't require a college degree? Check out the Open House and Info sessions at Southeastern Technical Institute. If you're interested be sure to register at stitech.edu.

Financial Aid Night

We are excited to have financial aid expert Jodi Conway come to RHS to share her expertise with our students and families at 6:00 PM on April 8th. Details about the event can be found here.

College Rep Visits: Meet Your Future

College representatives from colleges and universities are visiting RHS to meet with students, share information, and answer questions about admissions, majors, scholarships, and campus life. Learn more about Rep Visits here.

How to Sign Up

Students can sign up for college rep visits through SCOIR - details on signing up can be found here.

As visits will occur during class time, you will receive an E-hall pass for the visit. Your teacher will need to approve the pass! All visits have a cap on the number of attendees and sign ups will close 1 day before, so plan ahead and check often. Do not leave class without a note or summons.

NEACAC Annual Essay Contest - open for Juniors and Seniors - $1,000 and $2,000 scholarships will be awarded. Details can be found here.

We also wanted to let you know about two upcoming National College Fairs sponsored by NACAC - the National Association for College Admissions Counselors.

Hynes Convention Center, Boston

Dates/Times: Monday, April 27th from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Tuesday, April 28th from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence

Date/Time: Wednesday, April 29th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM

More details and registration information for these fairs can be found here.

Spring is here and with it seasonal allergies!

There is still a little snow on the ground. But this week’s warm weather brings allergy season with it.

Allergies are your body’s response to allergens such as pollen or dust. Allergies are not contagious. Symptoms often start all at once. Allergy symptoms can last weeks or months. Indoor allergies can happen year-round, and outdoor seasonal allergies are more common in the spring through fall when pollen counts are high.

What can you do to help combat allergy symptoms? Here are some tips from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology:

• Take allergy medications (nasal sprays (ie Flonase), eye drops (ie Zaditor), and antihistamines (ie Zyrtec, Claritin, etc)) as recommended by pediatrician or allergy doctor.

• Wash hands after touching surfaces covered in pollen.

• Wearing glasses helps keep pollen away from your lashes/eyes.

• Even if your eyes itch, don’t rub them. Artificial tears can help wash allergens from the eyes. If unavailable, flush eyes with clean hands and water. Apply a cold washcloth or cold compress to itchy, puffy eyes. Use antihistamine eye drops as directed.

• After spending time outside, take shoes off before coming inside.

• Shower and change clothing before bed.

• Close windows to keep pollen out of the home.

View the current pollen count, including the allergen contributors, at https://www.pollen.com/forecast/current/pollen/02370

How do you know if you have allergies or a cold?

You can tell the difference between a cold and seasonal allergies by key symptoms and how regularly the symptoms appear.

Colds are caused by a virus and are contagious. Usually symptoms develop over a few days and appear one at a time. Colds are more common during the winter months but can also occur at any time of the year. Colds typically run their course within seven to 10 days, although cough can linger for a few weeks. If your cold symptoms last longer than 10 days, talk to your doctor.

Please refer to the links below for your convenience.

School Website

Aspen Student & Family Portal

Arbiter Live- Athletic Schedules

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

It was a busy and productive week at Rockland High School. During Thursday’s Dog Block, students selected enrichment activities or a study (grades 9 and 12), while grades 10 and 11 worked on course selections in their advisory groups. We also celebrated the recognition of two RHS students at the Grossman Luncheon alongside students from 17 South Shore high schools.

On Friday, eight of our student-athletes participated in an MIAA Student Leadership Conference, representing Rockland High School and building leadership skills that they will bring back to their teams and our school community. We are looking forward to the start of the spring sports season next week and wish our teams a great start to the season.

Thank you to our students and staff for their continued hard work and flexibility throughout the week. I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Sincerely,
Cheryl Schipper

Principal